Winter Olympics 2026: Team USA women's hockey declines State of the Union invite

Team USA's women's hockey team declined an invitation to attend the State of the Union, citing previously scheduled academic and professional commitments; the team won Olympic gold Saturday in an overtime win over Canada.

Team USA's women's hockey team declined an invitation to the U.S. State of the Union address on Monday. USA Hockey said the team was grateful for the invitation but had previously scheduled academic and professional commitments. The invitation followed public attention to a call in which President Donald Trump congratulated the men's team and made a remark about bringing the women's team. The women's team won Olympic gold Saturday with an overtime victory over Canada. Known details: - USA Hockey announced the team declined the State of the Union invitation, citing academic and professional commitments. - The invitation followed a call in which President Trump congratulated the men's team and joked about bringing the women's team, a comment that drew attention. - FBI director Kash Patel traveled to Italy and celebrated with the men's team; reports say he placed the call to the president after the men's win. - The women's Olympic final ended 2-1 in overtime, with Hilary Knight scoring a late goal to tie and Megan Keller scoring the overtime winner; it was reported as the most-watched women's hockey game of all time. - The men's team also beat Canada 2-1 in overtime the next day, with Jack Hughes scoring the gold-medal winner, marking the first men's Olympic hockey gold since the "Miracle on Ice." Summary: The team's decision to decline the State of the Union invitation reflects competing commitments amid a high-profile Olympic moment. Reports note public attention to the president's call with the men's team and travel by an FBI official following the win. Undetermined at this time.